5 times James asked Lily out, 1 time she asked him
by Luna Atkins
Summary: We all know James pined after Lily for years on end, but did he ask her out? I know this meme's been done to death, but I like it. I might even do more.
1. Second Year

The first time James _really_ noticed Lily was after a Quidditch match in their second year. Gryffindor had just smashed Hufflepuff, 290 points to 40. James had scored most of the points, and boy, did he know it. As tradition, a massive party had been thrown in the Gryffindor common room, food provided by Lupin and the house-elves and drink provided by Sirius and the secret passage way to Hogsmead. Despite the numerous girls flocking around him, James only had eyes for the red-headed girl Wormtail was nervously talking to. Making his excuses to his groupies, he pushed his way through the throng. Peter saw him coming over, but as the girl had her back to him, she didn't. He smirked and tapped her on the shoulder. James already had a cocky chat up line planned, but it flew from his mind as she turned around.

'Can I help you?' she asked, raising an eyebrow.

'E…Evans? Lily Evans?' He stuttered out.

Peter sighed and wandered off. Now James was interested in Lily, he didn't have a chance.

'What do you want Potter? I was having a conversation with Peter. I'm very proud you managed to put the ball through the hoop so many times, but Peter needed help with his Arithmancy.' Lily had changed since their first year, which was the last time James could remember seeing her.

'Where have you been for the last 2 years? I swear I haven't seen you around!' James could kick himself for his whiney, desperate tone.

'I've been here. You just haven't taken your eyes off those bimbos. How's Lupin?'

'Um, he's fine, I guess?' James didn't like the turn this conversation was taking. Girls were usually all too keen to talk about him, and very little else.

'Oh, it's just he's missed a bunch of classes this year. Quite regularly as well. I thought something might be up.' Lily shrugged her slim shoulders.

James flicked his fringe out of his eyes and ruffled up his hair.

'So do you want to get a drink or something?'

Lily's pretty green eyes twinkled with laughter. 'Er, no. I don't think so. Your fangirls would be very disapointed. Besides, I don't think 'has a brain' is really your type, is it?' With that resounding slap to his self-confidence, she turned and vanished into the crowd.


	2. Third Year

'How did you know?'

Lily sighed and slammed her book shut in frustration as James sat down next to her.

'Sssh! This is a library!' Lily said in an undertone. James raised an eyebrow.

'You're the one slamming books around. I just asked you a question. And I'll ask it again. How did you know?'

Lily sighed again, and swung her legs round, to climb off the bench. 'Know what?' She said, marching away from him, to return the book to its shelf. That wasn't what she was looking for at all. James hurried after her.

'About Moo-Remus! His- his illness! At the party, you asked me how he was, because he'd missed loads of classes. And now,' James lowered his tone. 'And now, I find out my best friend has been a werewolf all this time. How did you know?'

Lily slowly placed a book on the shelf. 'So he told you then?'

'Just now. Stop avoiding the question.'

'Your best friend just told you his biggest secret ever, and you come and find me? You are a horrible friend. I figured it out. I'd been doing some extra reading for Professor Wells, when I came across werewolves. I'd noticed his absences had coincided with the full moon, and so I asked him about it. Probably not the wisest thing to do, in hindsight, but he admitted it was true. And then he asked me what he should do. About you. He was worried that his best friends would desert him when he told them. And it looks like he wasn't wrong, was he?'

James realised he'd his mouth open for some time. '…Why were you doing extra reading for DADA? You rock at that subject!'

Lily turned to face him, real anger in her piercing green eyes. 'THAT'S WHAT YOU PICK UP ON? YOU COMPLETE ARSE, JAMES POTTER!' Madam Pierce rounded the corner with her eyebrows raised so high, they almost disappeared into her hairline.

'Miss Evans, I would ask that you take this lover's quarrel outside. You are disturbing people who wish to read.'

Lily scoffed. 'Oh he _wishes _this was a lover's quarrel.' She picked up her bag and stormed out, slamming the door after her. James made an apologetic face at the librarian and ran after her.

'Evans, Evans! LILY! Wait!' She stopped in the corridor, glowering at him.

'It's true, isn't it? You didn't come to ask how I knew, you wanted me to _comfort _you, hoping I'd fall into your arms, fall in _love with you.' _She sneered. 'Well, that's never going to happen. Ever. So get your head out of your arse, stop pining after me, and tell your friend that his being a werewolf is NO BIG DEAL!' And with that she stormed off, headed towards the owlery. James stood for a moment, slightly shell shocked. Then he grinned. She could read him like a book. They were _meant _to be together.


	3. Forth Year

Lily looked up from the textbook she was studying. Potter and his cronies was sniggering in the corner, looking at something held between them. 'Look… do you guys think you could shut the hell up? I'm trying to study.' She said, indicating the book before her.

Potter stood up. 'Why should we? We're in the majority. You're the one being pissed off. You could move away- or to the library?'

Lily glared at him. 'The library is closed. It's like midnight. Why aren't you out 'marauding' or whatever it is that you do?'

He laughed, annoyingly arrogant. 'Oh, we've already done our marauding for today. And it was quite brilliant. Want to see?' Lily looked over warily. Potter sat down, ruffled up his hair and picked up the item.

'It's the door knocker from the Ravenclaw common room. Right now, there'll be dozens of Ravenclaws stuck outside their common room!' Black had a bizarrely dreamy look at the thought of such mayhem.

Lily caught Remus' eye. He looked ashamed. 'I- I had nothing to do with this. I've been stuck in the library all day.'

Potter looked at him with mild disgust. 'You pussy.' He directed his attention at Lily. 'So? What do you think?'

She was flabbergasted. 'What do I think? I think you should put it back, before you get in real trouble! You've really done it this time!' Remus looked relieved.

'_Thank you _Lily! That's what I've been saying! Just use the cloak. No-one will see you!'

Potter grinned wickedly. 'I tell you what. If you agree to go out with me Lily, I'll put it back. Whatcha think?'

Lily glared at him. He actually flinched. She threw a ball of paper at him. It missed, but smacked Black straight in the face. She picked up her book and threw it in her bag, then slung it over her shoulder. 'No. Never.'

As she walked to the girl's dorm, she heard Black snicker and say 'Ouch. Sucker.'


	4. Fifth Year

'Evans, hey Evans!'

It was the beginning of their 5th year, just before the Welcome Feast. Lily wheeled around to come face to face with James Potter. She sighed and said to Severus over her shoulder, 'You may as well go on in. This won't take long.'

Severus made to protest, but realised it was futile and sloped off. James swaggered over. 'How was your summer, Evans?' He enquired with a massive grin on his face. 'Good, good.' He said without waiting for a reply. 'Guess who was made Gryffindor Quidditch captain this year?' This time he waited expectantly for a reply, obviously wanting her to actually guess.

Lily sighed and rolled her eyes. 'Ooh, I don't know. Peter? Remus?'

James looked irritated. 'God Evans, can't you be even slightly happy for me? This is brilliant! Oh, yeah, and Moony got Prefect.'

Lily shook her head at his thick-headedness. 'Yeah, so did I, which you would know if you actually used your eyes or your ears. Now if you don't mind, I have to go in.' She turned away, but James grabbed her arm.

'Sorry, Lily, I didn't mean to piss you off. Look, the first Hogsmead weekend is soon. How about we go together?'

Lily yanked her arm back and walked off. 'For the last time James, NO. You're not my type. At all.'

'What?' he shouted after her, 'And greasy, annoying Slytherins are? What is up with you?' Lily shook her head and carried on walking. James swore and slouched after her.

James' rejection stung slightly less when he saw the look on Snape's face over at the Slytherin table when James sat down next to Lily.


	5. Sixth Year

Professor Slughorn beamed at his 6th Year Potions class. It was quite small, as all NEWT classes were, but it had members from all 4 houses. Snape, Evans, Potter… those three were easily his best students, but were renound for not getting on particularly well. At the moment, Evans was sat between the boys, looking rather uncomfortable and unhappy whilst brewing her Draught of Living Death. Her cauldron contained the smooth, blackcurrant-coloured liquid that was perfect at the halfway stage. Snape was almost there, but Potter had barely begun. He kept whispering things in Evan's ear, which was probably what was making her uncomfortable. Slughorn bustled over.

'Now, now, what's going on over here? Good work Snape… well done Evans, good colouring… Now what's this, Potter? Why haven't you started yet?'

Potter looked sullen and replied 'I forgot my book, and Evan's won't share.'

'On the first day? That won't do!' Slughorn shook his head and tutted sadly. 'Evans, would you share? We really should get some spares…'

Evans reluctantly edged her copy over. Slughorn beamed again. 'There! That's better. I assume you can start now, Mr Potter?' Potter nodded and began chopping up his Valerian roots.

The rest of the lesson went rather well, until:

'OH THAT IS IT! I HAVE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH YOU!' The whole class' heads swivelled towards Lily Evans, who was standing up, red in the face, screaming at James Potter. Slughorn hurried over.

'Evans! Sit down! I'm going to have to take 5 points from Gryffindor for this!' If it had been anyone else, it would have been much more than 5 points. 'Now tell me what happened?'

Lily flushed slightly, and then pushed her book towards him. 'He… graffitied my book.' Slughorn raised an eyebrow and read what had been inscribed above the title of the potion recipe. In thick red ink was written:

"Will you go out with me?"

Slughorn cleared his throat and turned to Potter who had his head in his hands, and was bright red from forehead to neck. 'Well… I think you got your answer, Potter?'


	6. Seventh Year Lily asks James

'Potter. HEY POTTER.' James flinched. After the 'incident' in Potions last year, James had kept away from Lily. His feelings hadn't changed, but some words from Moony had made him realise that maybe he should tone it down a bit. So he had. He hadn't ignored Lily so much, merely stopped following her around like a lost puppy. His past actions now made him cringe, and so he was on his best behaviour around her, desperately hoping she'd forget.

'Padfoot! James!' Ok, so she really wanted his attention if she was using his first name. He turned to see her running toward him, her red hair flaring out behind her, her face slightly pink. 'Hey there. Thought you were ignoring me then!' He could never ignore her. 'I heard you got Head Boy! Um, well done, I guess?' Her beautiful green eyes were sparkling with genuine happiness for him. Padfoot had said he'd gone soft and was a teacher's pet when he'd got his badge. Padfoot could go screw himself.

He smiled at her. 'Yeah, it was a bit of a shock. I thought it'd be Moony, seeing as he was actually Prefect. I think my mum had given up on me ever doing anything good. She thinks Quidditch is a waste of time.'

She frowned. 'But it's, like, your life! Are you still Captain?'

James nodded. 'Yeah. I just spoke to McGoggles about it.' He winced as the Marauders' pet name for the Head of Gryffindor slipped out. 'Not sure how I'll manage NEWTs, Quidditch and Head Boy duties though.' He grimaced.

'Well… do you want to discuss it sometime. I mean, I could take some of your duties, if you want?' James stared at her. Was she asking him out? 'I mean, it's the Hogsmead weekend this weekend, so I thought…' she trailed off, looking slightly worried at his lack of reaction.

For a moment James considered saying no. Just to see her reaction, so she could feel how he'd felt everytime she'd said no. Then he realised this could be his only chance at ever getting a date with Lily Evans (and therefore every girl in his year, a record even Padfoot couldn't beat). 'Yeah, that'd be great. Um, Three Broomsticks?'

Lily smiled with relief. 'Should I meet you at the gates? About 11ish?'

He nodded, and ruffled his hair. 'See you there, then!'

She grinned, and said 'Ok!' before turning, and walking hurriedly towards the library.

James punched the air, and almost hugged a terrified looking first year, before sprinting to the Gryffindor tower. He couldn't _wait _to see the look on Padfoot and Moony's faces.


End file.
